I used to work in the Cabinet Office in the early seventies and I was a member of the Labour Party (and the Tribune Group).

I never heard of any restrictions on membership of any party (including far left).We had to go through what was known as positive vetting and I was accepted despite my political affiliations.

Maybe it was just the MOD. The OHP slide I was shown, at a 'security' presentation as part of my induction, had a list of left and right wing political parties and groups who were proscribed - CPGB at the top of the left, NF top of the right. LPYS some way down the left hand side.

LPYS was a battleground between Militant and Socialist Organiser at the time, so maybe that had something to do with it.

I too was positively vetted and passed despite being a de facto member of LPYS.

I'd be stunned if MI5 didn't have files of some kind on pretty much everyone.

It wouldn't be that hard to manage. The NHS can do it after all.

The NHS have a reason, almost everybody uses the NHS at some point and their "files" are just records of their dealings with the public. The vast majority of people (including lefties) will never come into contact with MI5.

When the DHSS built Quarry House in Leeds (the enormous building that looks like a power station sat next to the elevated bit of York Road), the top floor was for MI5/MI6.

It was nicknamed the Kremlin too and It got that name from the staff too

but you and I weve been through that and this is not our fate.
So let us so let us not talk falsely now.
The hour is getting late
FROM 2004,TO DO WHAT THIS CLUB HAS DONE,IF THATS NOT GREATNESSTHEN i DONT KNOW WHAT IS.

Moreover, some years ago (depressingly 30) when I was employed by the Ministry of Defence I was informed that membership of the Labour Party Young Socialists was proscribed. The LPYS was the youth wing of The Labour Party for under 25s.

My parents met in the LPYS. I am, literally, a child of the Labour Party.

I'm pretty sure that MI5 will have pretty fat records on all MPs. Especially Labour ones.

MI5 have a track record of actively trying to bring down or prevent Labour governments,

Hardly. MI5 aren't the Stasi, they don't have the resources to have a file on every Labour member.

It has been admitted in Parliament that at one point in the 70s MI5 had files on several million British citizens. I understand the current officially admitted figure is something like 420,000 people. You can, of course, multiply that a few times to get the true number.

I'm pretty sure that MI5 will have pretty fat records on all MPs. Especially Labour ones.

MI5 have a track record of actively trying to bring down or prevent Labour governments,

It has been admitted in Parliament that at one point in the 70s MI5 had files on several million British citizens. I understand the current officially admitted figure is something like 420,000 people. You can, of course, multiply that a few times to get the true number.

With the best, thats a good bit of PR, though I would say the Bedford team, theres, like, you know, 13 blokes who can get together at the weekend to have a game together, which doesnt point to expansion of the game. Point, yeah go on!